Time to Wake Up

“Therefore let us not sleep, as others do, but let us watch and be sober” (I Thessalonians 5:6). In the time of Jesus, He being with His three disciples whom He loved the most, told them to watch with Him and pray, for the hour had come; but because of their unawareness of what was to befall them, they fell asleep. They did not know that the hour of trial had come whereas they were to watch with their Master lest they enter into temptation; but they, putting trust in themselves, forgot, became tired and fell asleep. Had He found them praying, He would have been relieved. Had they been seeking refuge in God, the satanic agencies would not have prevailed over them. He would have been comforted that they would not enter into temptation.

“In the warning to ‘watch and pray,’ Jesus has indicated the only safe course. There is need of watchfulness. Our own hearts are deceitful, we are compassed with the weaknesses and frailties of humanity, and Satan is intent to destroy. We may be off our guard, but our adversary is never idle. Knowing his tireless vigilance, let us not sleep, as do others but ‘watch and be sober.’ The spirit and influence of the world must be met but they must not be allowed to take possession of the mind and heart.” (ST 409)

If we make Christ first in everything, we are not to be self confident as Peter, the disciple of Jesus, who told his Master that wherever He was to be at that awful hour, Peter would be there, even if it meant death. Oh! He did not know that he was a weak vessel, who was not to depend upon himself, but upon his Master, who even depended upon His Father for strength. It is unsafe for us to lean to our own understanding; we are daily to seek wisdom and strength from above.

“He who appreciates the love of Christ brings other souls as sheaves to the Master. Thorough work is always done by all who are connected with Christ. They bear fruit to His glory. But indolence and carelessness and frivolity separate the soul from Christ, and Satan comes in to work his will with the poor worldly subjects. We have a great truth, but through careless indifference the truth has lost its force upon us. Satan has come in with his specious temptations, and has led the professed followers of Christ away from that leader, classing them with the foolish virgins.” (TM 130)

In the parable of the ten virgins, all were eagerly waiting for the bridegroom. All had lamps and vessels for oil. For a time there was no difference between them. Even unto the Christians who profess to be waiting for Jesus’ second coming, having their lamps and vessels of oil, when Christ appears, two classes will be seen as in the ten virgins. We need oil of grace in our vessels and in our lamps lest we find ourselves left behind without hope.

CHURCH REPROACHED BY INDOLENCE

“God has opened fields before us, and if human agencies would be to co-operate with divine agencies, many, many souls would be won to the truth. But the Lord’s professing people have been sleeping over their allotted work, and in many places it remains comparatively untouched. God sent message after message to arouse our people to do something, and to do it now. But to the call, ‘whom shall I send?’ There have been few to respond, ‘Here am I; send me.’ (Isaiah 6:8).

“When the reproach of indolence and slothfulness shall have been wiped away from the church, the spirit of the Lord will be graciously manifested. Divine power will be revealed. The church will see the providential working of the Lord of Hosts. The light of truth will shine forth in clear, strong rays, and as in the time of apostles, many souls will turn error to truth. The earth will be lighted with the glory of the Lord.” (TT 46)

If we could only offer ourselves to work for God and avoid making excuses, we could make the second coming of our Lord nearer; but because we want to be given support, then go to work, we don’t wish to work ourselves to support God’s work. God says, arise and go to the green fields and work; lazy people are not needed for we are living on borrowed time.

“The command to you is, ‘Go work today in my vineyard.’ We are all God’s workmen, and not one is to be idle; but I would ask, what are you doing for the Master in order that you may hear His words of approval, ‘Well done thou, good and faithful servant; thou hast been faithful over a few things, I will make you ruler over many things?’ God never makes a mistake; He will never call men good and faithful who are not faithful.” (TM 184)

“Many have been altogether for long in a sleepy condition. While some have worked intently, and have manifested unfailing energy, others have stood as spectators, and have been ready to make remarks of a critical character as to methods and results. This they are ready to do, though they have never exercised their minds in originating any plans whereby precious souls might be saved for Christ. They stand ready to find fault with those who do something. When these indolent souls awaken and show some signs of returning consciousness, they are disappointed if others do not at once find them pleasant in the work. It is a great shock to them to find that work cannot be done without painstaking, self denying, self crucifying efforts.” (TM 206)

SODOM’S SIN AND RUIN

“The prophet Ezekiel declares: ‘Behold, this was the iniquity of thy sister Sodom, pride, fullness of bread, and abundance of idleness was in her daughter, neither did she strengthen the hand of the poor and the needy.’ Ezekiel 16:49. Here are represented the terrible results of idleness, which enfeebles the mind, debases the soul, and perverts the understanding, making a curse of that which was given as a blessing. It is the working man or woman who sees something great and good in life, and who is willing to bear its responsibilities with faith and hope.” (CT 279)

Idleness and riches make the heart hard that has never been oppressed by want or burdened by sorrow. The love of pleasure was fostered by wealth and leisure, and the people gave themselves up to sensual indulgence. There is nothing more desired among men than riches and leisure, and these gave birth to the sins that brought destruction upon the cities of the plain. Their useless, idle life made them a prey to Satan’s temptations, and they defaced the image of God, and became satanic rather than divine. Idleness is the greatest curse that can fall upon man, for vice and crime follow in its train.

“Active hands and minds do not find time to heed every temptation which the enemy suggests, but idle hands and brains are all ready for Satan’s control. The mind, when not properly occupied, dwells upon improper things.” (IT 395)
There is but one remedy for indolence, and that is to throw off sluggishness, as a sin that leads to perdition, and go to work using the physical ability that God had given us for this purpose. The only cure for a useless inefficient life is effort, determined, persevering effort. As God’s human agents we are to do the work that He has given us. To every man He has given his work, and we are not going to give ourselves up to conjecture as to whether or not our earnest endeavors will prove successful.

BE WATCHFUL

“Watch therefore, for you do not know when the Master of the house is coming in the evening, at midnight, at the crowing of the rooster, or in the morning – lest, coming suddenly, and finds you sleeping.” (Mark 13:35, 36) We are waiting and watching for the return of the Master, who is to bring the morning, lest coming suddenly He find us sleeping. His ministration from the Most Holy place of the heavenly sanctuary is nearing, when He lays off His priestly attire and clothes Himself with the clothes of vengeance.

“God has always given men warning of coming judgments. Those who had faith in His message for their time, and who acted out their faith, in obedience to His commandments, escaped the judgments that fell upon the disobedient and unbelieving. The word came to Noah, ‘Come thou and all thy household into the ark; for thee have I seen righteous before me.’ Noah obeyed and was saved. The message came to Lot, ‘up, get you out of this place; for the Lord will destroy this city.’ Gen. 7:1; 19:14. Lot placed himself under the guardianship of the heavenly messengers, and was saved. So Christ’s disciples were given warning of the destruction of Jerusalem. Those who watched for the sign of the coming ruin, and fled from the city, escaped the destruction. So now we are given warning of Christ’s second coming and of the destruction to fall upon the world. Those who heed the warning will be saved.” (DA 634)

As we are waiting for the Lord, we are not to watch for it with idle expectancy. Our expectation is to fear the Lord, and fear His judgments upon transgression. It is to awaken us to the great sin of rejecting His offers of mercy. As we are watching, we are purifying our souls by obedience to the truth. With vigilant watching we combine earnest working for we know that the Lord is at the door; our zeal is quickened to co-operate with the divine intelligence in working for salvation of souls. We are to declare the truth as some of the patriarchs, i.e. Abraham, Enoch, Noah and Moses. Each declared the truth for his time, so will Christ’s servants give the special warning for the generation.

“Turning from man and every other model, with open face we behold Jesus in all His glory… I see heights and depths that we may reach, accepting every ray of light and going forward to a greater light. The end is near, and God forbid that we shall be asleep at this time.” (ISM 362)

“The ‘time of trouble, such as never was,’ is soon to open upon us; and we shall need an experience which we do not now possess and which many are too indolent to obtain. It is often the case that trouble is greater in anticipation than in reality; but this is not true of the crisis before us. The most vivid presentation cannot reach the magnitude of the ordeal. In the time of trial, every soul must stand for himself before God. ‘Though Noah, Daniel and Job were in the land, ‘as I live, saith the Lord God, they shall deliver neither son nor daughter; they shall but deliver their own souls by their righteousness.’ Ezekiel 14:20.” (GC 622)

Watch after watch is needed, for now the moments are fewer than before the passing of the first watch. If we watched with unabated vigilance then, how much more need of double watchfulness for this one. It is inexcusable to abate our watchfulness. To become impatient now would be to lose all our earnest, persevering watching heretofore. God’s unwillingness to have His people perish has been the reason for so long a delay. But the coming of the morning to the faithful, and of the night to the unfaithful, is right upon us. By waiting and watching, God’s people are to manifest their peculiar character, their separation from the world. By our watching position we are to show that we are truly strangers and pilgrims upon the Earth. Therefore let us be always watchful.
AMEN.

Naom K. Riang’a, Nairobi-Kenya